Can topical anesthesia before cataract surgery relieve pain?

Question

Hi doctor,

My father is 75 years old. He will be undergoing cataract surgery in both eyes. There will be about a two-week gap between the procedure for each eye. He will be given an anesthesia injection instead of topical anesthesia.

He is anxious about the needle prick. Will he benefit if topical anesthesia cream is applied on the injection site below the lower eyelid one to two hours before the procedure? Also, will any oral medicine like the tablet Alprazolam 0.25 mg given before one to two hours help him? He is taking medicine for blood pressure at a very small dosage. Please advise.

Thank you.

Answer 1

Hi,

I appreciate that you have chosen icliniq.com for your medical needs.

I am here to give you the best care possible.

Cataract surgery requires a peribulbar local anesthetic block which is a painful procedure. Applying topical anesthetic cream two hours before the surgery will not help as the effect of topical anesthetic will recede after ten to twenty minutes. So if required it can be applied immediately before giving the block. It will only anesthetize the skin superficially, deeper sensations will still be present. There can be a little pain. An anxiolytic drug may be given in the pre-operative period.

Also, he can be counseled regarding anesthetic injection, as it is only a procedure that requires two to three seconds. There will be no sensation in that eye for an hour and a half.

I hope that you get your answer.

Please let me know if you need any help.

Thank you.

Answer 2

Hi,

Once more, thank you for allowing us to be of service to you.

We value the high level of confidence you have in us!

Yes, it will reduce the pain by about ten to twenty percent at the most.

Being elderly, the effects of anxiolytics can vary depending on general conditions, kidney or liver functions, and associated illnesses like high blood pressure, high blood sugar levels, etc. It can also depend on the other medicines that the patient is taking. If the medicine might induce sleep would depend on how sensitive the patient is to the medicine. It is always better to take anxiolytics under a physician's advice.

Thank you.